Designing Rugged Outdoor Products for Everyday Adventure
My Role
As the Design Director for the soft goods program at KASE Outdoors, I led the product design from concept through development, directing industrial design, CMF strategy, technical documentation, bill of materials (BOMs), and cross-functional product development to deliver durable, manufacturing-ready outdoor products.
Collaborators
Industrial design was completed in collaboration with Matt Walker, Jeff George, and Kevin Schoepfel. Engineering was led by JCK Engineering, while Mervyn Chen and Angelina Hu partnered throughout product development and manufacturing readiness.
Learn more about KASE Outdoors.
PROJECT BRIEF
KASE Outdoors set out to develop a premium insulated soft cooler backpack capable of delivering hard-cooler performance in a lightweight, portable form. The design challenge was to create a cooler that could hold up to 18 standard beverage cans while maintaining ice retention and interior temperatures during extended outdoor use in 100°F (38°C) conditions, including up to 10 hours of direct sun exposure.
To achieve these performance goals, the cooler incorporated adjustable ergonomic backpack straps, a 2-inch double-wall insulated lid, and a precision-engineered lid-to-body seal to maximize thermal efficiency. The product was designed using RF-weldable waterproof materials and integrated MOLLE-compatible webbing on the shoulder straps and front panel, allowing users to customize the bag with modular accessories. An ergonomic oval form balanced carrying comfort with storage capacity while supporting efficient manufacturing.
IDEATION
Color Concept 1
Color Concept 2
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Color Concept 4
Color Concept 5
Color Concept 6
Color Concept 7
Color Concept 8
CMF Tech Pack Development
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Prototyping & Product Development
Final Prototype 1
Final Prototype 2
FINAL PRODUCT PHOTOS
Let's Continue the Conversation
Many of my projects were developed under confidential client agreements, so only a portion of the work can be shared publicly. If you're interested in seeing additional research, design iterations, prototypes, engineering documentation, or production development for this project, I'd be happy to share more during a private portfolio review.
Please reach out using the contact form below.
Thank you!
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